The Center comprises a multidisciplinary program of clinical and basic research designed to further elucidate the etiology pathogenesis, ultrastructural abnormalities and protean manifestations of parkinsonism and allied basal ganglia disorders. The major objectives are to improve diagnosis and treatment. Clinical studies include the evaluation of new therapeutic agents, studies of problem cases, such as those either unresponsive or showing progressively diminishing response to therapeutic agents, those with "on-off" reactions and induced dyskinetic responses. The incidence of dementia in parkinsonism and the interrelationship of any between Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's will be studied. Basic laboratory studies encompass a broad and thorough program designed to elucidate nigrostriatal function: 1) growth and development, 2) synaptology, ultrastructure and cerebellar connections, 3) dopamine receptors and regulation of transmitter release, 4) In Vivo electrochemical monitoring of dopamine turnover, 5) mechanisms of accelerated cell senescence. Other aspects of the clinical and basic science programs include studies of visual evoked potentials, spinal fluid studies, glutamate dehydrogenase deficiency, basic electrophysiological studies and basic metabolic studies with 13C- glucose to monitor turnover of putative amino acid transmitters. A number of core facilities provide specialized tools and promote interdisciplinary and collaborative studies, 1) Registry of patients with basal ganglia disorders, 2) maintenance of human brain bank, 3) maintenance of organotypic cultures, 4) laboratory for specialized measurements of nomamines and metabolites and 5) In Vivo electrochemical monitoring of dopamine release.